Angela’s Chicken Napolitano

Growing up in the Providence, RI, neighborhood of Federal Hill, Chef David Sammarco first fell in love with Italian cooking at age three, helping his mother and grandmother prepare eggplant cutlets and lasagna for Sunday dinner. Today, David owns a successful catering business in Arlington, MA.

Here, David shares his mother Angela’s favorite recipe for Chicken Napolitano, which has also proven quite popular with his many satisfied catering clients!

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup fresh extra virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons fresh crushed garlic
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1½ cups broccoli florets cut into small pieces
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup roasted red peppers, julienned
• 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• ½ cup Romano cheese, grated
• ½ pound gemelli or fusilli pasta, cooked

Instructions

Place chicken between layers of parchment paper and pound until thin, then salt and pepper. Cut into bite-size scaloppini.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in large sauté pan over a medium-high flame. Dust chicken scaloppini with flour; shake off excess. Place chicken into pan and brown both sides until uniformly golden. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add two tablespoons olive oil to pan; reduce flame to medium. Add garlic, mushrooms, and broccoli; sauté two minutes. Add half the wine to deglaze pan; simmer for four minutes.

Add artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and olives; heat three minutes until vegetables are tender. Turn flame to high. Add cooked chicken and remaining white wine. Heat for thirty seconds; stir vigorously with wooden spoon to prevent sticking.

Remove from heat; transfer chicken and vegetables to serving bowl. Gently toss with pasta, grated cheese, parsley, and basil until mixed thoroughly. Serve immediately. Makes four generous portions.

About Basilico

Botanically a member of the mint family of herbs, basilico (sweet basil) is a popular flavor throughout Italian cuisine which pairs especially well with tomatoes and fresh olive oil. In preparing freshly picked basil leaves for use, care should be taken to first remove leaf stems and flowers, which impart a bitter taste.